Steam-condensing system.



J. W. ANDERSON.

STEAM CONDENSING SYSTEM.

APPLICAHON FILED JAN. I9; 1917.

Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

Condena r BoI/cf INVENTOR.

& BY

3 Arm/my UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. ANDERSON, OF GROTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR 'IO ELECTRIC BOAT COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

STEAM-GONDENSING SYSTEM.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN W. AnDEnsoN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Groton, in the county of New London and State of Connecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in Steam-Condensing Systems; and I do hereby'declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descrlption of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to steam condensing systems and is directed more particularly to the provisionof an apparatus for permitting steam at boiler pressure to be condensed without danger to the condensing apparatus. This broad object is attained by the provision of an expansion chamber auxiliary to the usual condenser in which steam from the boiler is expanded and cooled so that the expanded and cooled steam and the water intermingled therewith may be admitted to the condenser with safety. I

In the case of a submarine boat equipped with a steam power plant for surface propulsion, it is very important that there be provided a means for avoiding the dangers incident to the passage of steam from the boiler to the condenser. When a steampropelled submarine submerges after running on the surface, it is necessary to take care of the heat in the boiler, steam pipe and turbine within a very few minutes in order that the heat radiating from these parts may not heat up the boat unduly. If the live steam in the boiler were allowed to escape overboard, there would be a loss of fresh water too large to be tolerated. On

7 the other hand, if the steam in the boiler were allowed to flow directly into the condenser, great damage to the condenser might result due to the relatively high temperature to which theparts of the condenser would be raised very suddenly. The present invention is directed to the provision of a power plant which may be used for the propulsion of a submarine boat so constructed as to permit live steam from the boiler to be 7 carried into the condenser without subject- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

Application filed January 19, 1917. Serial No. 143,235;

constructed that steam admitted thereto direct from the boiler is expanded and cooled to such a degree that it may be safely admitted to the condenser. This expansion cham ber is connected to the boilerso as to receive live steam therefrom and is also connected to the tank from which water is fed to the boiler. When the apparatus is in operation the vacuum existing in the condenser draws water from the feed water tank into the expansion chamber as steam flows into the chamber from the boiler and the expansion chamber is specially constructed so as to effect an intimate mixture of the steam and water which results in the requisite cooling and expansion of the steam.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a steam power plant adapted for use on a submarine boat; Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the expansion chamber; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig.1

Referring to Fig. 1, a boiler l furnishes steam through a conduit 5 and separator 6 to an engine 7 such as a steam turbine.

Water is fed to 1 the boiler from a tank 8 through a pipe 9 by a feed pump 10. A passage 13 leads from the turbine to a condenser 12 provided with a Vacuum pump 14 and the condensate flows from the pump to the tank 8 through a pipe 15.

The expansion chamber is shown at 16; it is preferably connected at its upper end to the under side of the conduit 13, as shown. This chamber 16 is connected to the separator 6 by a pipe 17 provided with a valve 19 and to the tank 8 by a pipe 18 provided with a valve 20. The construction of the expansion chamber is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, from which it will be seen that the chamber has a cylindrical wall 16 and concentric therewith a conical wall 16. The lower edge of the cone is spaced from the cylindrical wall so as to provide a narrow circumferential orifice 16 which surrounds the base of the cone. Below this orifice is a circular passage 16 which gradually decreases in cross-sectional area from its inlet end to which the pipe 17 is connected, as is clearly indicated in the drawings. Cooling water enters .the expansion chamber through the pipe 18 which leads to the apex of the cone 16 and a deflector 16 is mounted in the end of the pipe 18 so that the water entering the expansion chamber is directed outwardly in all directions in the form of a spray. It is not necessary to provide a pump in-the pipe 18 for forcing water from the tank 8 into theexpansion chamber unless the expansion chamber is at lbOO great a height above the tank 8, as the vacuum in the condenser 12 will serve to draw an adequate supply of cooling water into the expansion chamber from the tank 8.

7 As above stated, the apparatus herein illustrated and described is of special utility in a submarine boat. If such .a boat pro vided with this form of propelling apparatus were cruising upon the surface propelled by the engine 7, and it became necessary to submerge quickly, the fire below the boiler 4 would be put out immediately and the engine 7 stopped. If desired, the engine could be continued in operation for a short period of time so as to use up the steam remaining in the boiler 41:, but usually this is undesirable. The engine having been stopped and the valve 21 in the inlet pipe 5 closed, the valves 19 and 20 would be opened so as to open a'passage for steam from boiler a to expansion chamber 16 through the pipe 17 and to open a passage for water "from thefeed water tank 8 to the chamber 16 through the pipe 18. Steam would then flow from the boiler through pipes 5 and 17 to the circular passage 16 at the base of the-expansion chamber and would pass upwardly from this passage through the narrow orifice 16 in the form of a circular sheet. At the same time water would be drawn from the feed water tank 8 through the pipe 18 into the expansion chamber and the deflector 16 at the outlet end of the pipe 18 would cause this water to be directed-outwardly in all directions in a thin sheet. The water and steam coming in contact within the expansion chamber results in expansion and cooling of the steam to such a degree as to permit its introduction into the condenser without danger to the latter. Within the condenser the cooled and expanded steam is condensed and the water of condensation passes through the pump 14: and pipe 15 to the tank 8. Throughout this operation the pump 10 would be kept running so as to contin e the fiow of cold water from the tank '8 into the boiler a and the joint efiect of withdrawing steam from the boiler and admitting cold water thereto efiects a rapid cooling of the contents of the boiler.

The special construction of the expansion chamber herein illustrated and described makes that chamber very efi'ective in accomplishing the expansion and cooling of the steam. The taper of the passage 16 and the narrow orifice through which the steam flows from that passage torthe interior of the chamber results'in a substantially uniin all directions so that an intimate contact of all of the steam with the cooling water is effected.

I claim: 7

1. The combination of a boiler, :an engine 7 connected thereto, a condenser connected to the engine, .an expansion chamber connected to the condenser, a connection from the boiler to the expansion chamber through which steam may flow fromithe boiler "to the chamber, and a water supply connected to the expansion chamber whereby steam from the boiler and water maybe brought into contact within theexpansion chamber to reduce the temperature of'the steamlprior to its admissionxto the condenser; substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination ofa boiler, an engine connected thereto, a condenser connected to the engine, an expansion chamber connected to the condenser, a pipe for carrying steam from the boiler to the expansion chamber, a tank for feed water connected to the boiler, and-aconduit leading ifrom the tank to the expansion chamber through which water may pass into the expansion chamber to mingle with the steam therein and cool the same prior to its admission to the condenser; substantially described.

3. The combinationof a boiler, -.an "engine connected thereto, a condenser connected to theengine, a water tank-connected to the a boiler, a pump in-the connection from the tank to the boiler, a connection f'rom the condenser to the tank, a pump in said connection, an expansion chamber'connected to the condenser and having a water-inlet con steam admitted to the expansion chamber is cooled prior-to its admission to the c'ondenser; substantially asdescribed.

4c. The combination of a steamdrivenengine, a boiler, a condenser, a feed-water tank connected to the boiler, connections whereby steam may flow from the'boiler to the engine andfrom the engine tothe condenser, a connection for water from the condenser to the tank, an expansion chamher, and connections through which steam may flow from the boiler to the expansion chamber and through it to the condenser; substantially as described.

5. The combination of a steam driven engine, a boiler, a condenser, connections through Which steam may flow from the boiler to the engine and from the engine to the condenser, an expansion chamber, connections through which steam may flow from the boiler to the expansion chamber and through it to the condenser, and means for supplying Water to the expansion chamber to reduce the temperature of the steam therein; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN W. ANDERSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

